Baby, It's COLD Outside!!

Brrrrrrrrrrr...here in northwest Ohio, it's below zero. 

As a high temperature. 

For two days straight now.

I can honestly say that I'm glad I don't have a homestead with animals right now!

Everyone in the majority of the US is either going through the cold snap, has received quite a bit of snow in the last few days, or both, so there's no reason to really talk about it that much.  I just thought I'd share the view from my little corner of the world, taken from the inside looking out, because I tried to go outside, and well...it's just too cold to go out and take pictures!  I do love the color palette of winter, though...blues, grays, silvers, whites, creams...like these colors from Design Seeds:

Stay warm and safe, everyone!

This frost was on the inside of the door.

Up close...I love frost crystals!

Icicles along the back side of the whole house.

Can you see the swirls in the snow?

Looking out the front door, which is also frosted up.  Winter, for sure!

Front yard.

Front porch and drive.

Patio furniture...seems like it's always the best way to measure the snowfall!

German Glass Glitter...You've Gotta Try This Stuff! And Birthday Fun.

Well, I've been having fun the past few days.  Which makes the stomach bug, which I'm experiencing now, a major bummer.  Plus, this is the one night each year that gains an hour, which makes it the longest night of the year to be up running back and forth to the bathroom--major major bummer.  So, to pass the time and take my mind off of the sickness, I'll tell you what I've been up to.

German Glass Glitter
I am a new fan of this stuff!  I read about it a while ago in Better Homes and Gardens magazine, and decided to give it a try.  If you haven't heard of it before, I'll explain: German glass glitter is basically what the name implies.  It is ground-up colored glass, and it comes in many different grit sizes and colors (I purchased three different grits, and I think I like the fine grit the best for the project that I'm working on).  Obviously, as this is tiny bits of glass, it is sharp, and yes, I've already drawn a little blood.  Here are the colors I purchased:

In these pics, you can see the different sizes of the glass grains.  The silver seems the most dangerous!

I'm working on some new items for my Etsy store using the glass glitter, and I'll share some pictures with you here: 

That's as far as I've been able to get with this particular project, though.  More to come when I'm finished!

Frankenstorm
With all of the coverage on the news and Internet about the hurricane that struck the eastern US last week, I'll not bother with saying much here.  All we got was a lot of wind and rain, but we also got some snow from it, which tickled me pink.  Hubby thought I was crazy for being so excited about seeing our first snow for the year, but I am like this every year when we get our first flakes.  It did make driving into work a tad treacherous, but here are a few fun pictures of the fluffiness:

You can see that not all of the trees have dropped their leaves yet, but many blew off during the storm.  I'm so glad to be this far inland, and not have had to experience what folks out east have been going through. 

Birthday Fun
My birthday is coming up this week, so we decided to celebrate this weekend, since a weekday birthday is pretty inflexible when it comes to having fun.  Hubby so sweetly decided to take Friday off, and we spent the day together, running errands, doing chores around the house, and eventually ending up having dinner at a quaint restaurant about a half hour away that I've mentioned before, Jeanne's Kitchen.  We had a good day.  But Saturday was really what I've been looking forward to ever since I found out what my dear husband had planned for us:
Here are a couple of photos of the Ohio countryside as we traveled to our destination...

And here is a picture of my birthday weekendapalooza purchases.  Wait a minute...is that...

Oh, yes it is...

Why, whatever could it be??

Silly girl, you picked it out...

Open it! Open it!

Oh, isn't it lovely?

It's a sterling silver piece of their 175th anniversary jewelry collection.  It's on a sterling silver chain, and both are stamped with the Tiffany & Co. logo.  Yes, my husband took me to Tiffany & Co. in Columbus and let me shop and try on all sorts of jewels!  I've never been in a Tiffany's, so this was extremely exciting.  When we first walked in, we entered a lobby area and were met by a well-dressed salesman and a well-dressed security guard.  I understood why there was a guard, but didn't expect it.  You don't see this sort of thing when you go to Zales at the mall.  The salesman took us around the store, asking us questions and trying to feel us out.  He showed us everything that they had.  I found a lot of things that were simply gorgeous, but way out of our price range.  The $58,000, 2+ carat diamond ring took the cake as the most expensive piece I tried on, which was fun because our salesman knew there was no possibility that we would buy it.  He didn't seem to mind, though.  The ring was so incredibly brilliant and simply stunning, with a narrow platinum band and a huge diamond in the middle.  The salesman put it on my finger, and my husband and I both exclaimed in unison, "Wow".  There were no other words.  While I know that I would never wear anything so audacious out in public even if I had the money to purchase such a piece, I couldn't help but think that I would love to be "the one percent" (if I bought into that whole school of thought).  I had picked out three necklaces, and finally decided on the one in the picture.  I really do like it!  I plan to wear it often.  Before going to Tiffany's, hubby took me to a very fancy steakhouse called Smith & Wollensky's, a restaurant that he'd eaten at before while in Columbus for work, but a place that I never had the pleasure to patronize until now.  It was neat, and the steak was soooo good!  We also ordered sides of green beans and lobster mac and cheese.  I didn't care for the green beans--they had been sauteed and mixed with Gorgonzola cheese, which I found out upon tasting that I didn't like (hubby agreed).  I tried to eat around it as much as I could.  Didn't matter, though--the steak more than made up for it!  For dessert, we ordered a piece of chocolate cake, which was huge.  We took most of it with us to eat later.  After lunch and jewelry shopping, we walked around, visiting other stores, and finally left after many hours of shopping, eating and walking.  It was a wonderful day spent with the man I love most (and not just because he took me to THE jewelry store).  I thank God for him every day, and am so glad to be blessed with such a sweet, kind, and thoughtful husband.  He really is a great guy, and I love him more and more as time goes by.  I look forward to many many years of happiness with him.  Thank you, my dear, for a wonderful day that will always be in my mind and heart!  

DIY Winter Decor--PS, It Has Sparkles!

I had an idea for a sparkly decoration for my wall to brighten up the cold winter days.  I could see it all in my head: the glitter, the letters, the snowflakes...so I took myself down to the local Hobby Lobby, purchased the bulk of my supplies, and set to work on my idea.  It turned out well, so I decided to share it with everyone!  It took a few days to make, because of drying time, but I think it's well worth it.  And, it wasn't that expensive, because I like to buy things that are on sale or that I can use coupons on.  So, without further ado, here's my project!

First, assemble your supplies.  In this picture, I purchased the wooden plaque, high-gloss acrylic spray, foam brushes, 1/2" thick x 3 1/2" tall chipboard letters, wooden cutout snowflakes, and clear plastic jewelry line.  I already had the different colors of glitter, all-purpose glue, wood glue, and paints.  I am missing the letter "T" and the picture hanging bracket in this photo.

I did this project in my living room.  Regardless of where you do this project, it will be a good idea to spread newspaper or a protective covering of some sort on the surface where you will be working.

The first thing I did was start painting the wooden plaque.  I used a white pearl paint, but it was somewhat see-through and would end up requiring several coats.  If you use a pearlized paint, you might want to apply a base coat of a solid color that matches your pearl paint.  It will cover much better.

Next, begin adding glitter to the letters.  Pour some all-purpose glue into a container, and using the small foam brush, and brush it on the letters like paint.  A thin coat will do just fine.  I started with the faces of the letters.

Then, sprinkle on the glitter.  Good thing hubs wasn't home for this step.  The glitter goes everywhere, and he HATES it.  I just laugh.

I did all the letters like this, making sure that I didn't have any bare spots on the letters.  I let the glue/glitter dry overnight.  Then I came back and started applying the glitter to the sides of the letters (try to keep glue and glitter from seeping onto the back of the letters).

Once all of the front and sides of the letters are glittered up, and your plaque is painted to your liking, it's time to attach your hanging hardware.  I decided to purchase a large metal hanger with pegs and teeth.  It sounds vicious, but it's really quite nice!  Check it out:

To attach these, simply measure out the middle of where you want to attach it, then gently tap each bracket side into the wood with a hammer.  Super easy!

Okay, now you are ready to attach your letters and strings for the snowflakes.  Cut your desired number of pieces of the plastic string to your desired length (I decided to just add three snowflakes) and wipe off the plaque to make sure it's free of debris (or in my case, glitter).  Begin to apply wood glue to the backs of the letters.  I'll demonstrate the wrong way:

You will want to add the clear string to the glue on the back of the letters before attaching the letters to the wood.

 

As you can see, leaving thick blobs of glue on the back of the letter will result in oozing glue when you apply pressure to the letter to attach it to the wood.  I forgot that when I did the W.  No biggie, I was able to wipe up most of it with wet and dry paper towels.  If you can't get all of the glue off, just do your best.  It'll dry mostly clear, and if it's noticeable, just touch it up with your paint.

Note:  I used a transparent ruler to create a guide to keep all of the letters straight.  I usually can eyeball things and be just about perfect, but the striations in the wood were throwing me off.  Just a tip to help you out.

Now, the right way to glue the letters:

Apply small amounts of wood glue and spread it around with your finger until it covers the back of the letter evenly and thinly.  Set the letter on the plaque and apply gentle pressure for a few moments.  Continue in this fashion, gluing the letters and strings where desired, until all of the letters and strings are in place.

Now is the time to decorate your snowflakes.  I applied a layer of silver paint to the front, then sprinkled iridescent glitter on the wet paint to get it to stick.  Let everything dry for several hours or overnight, for best results.

Okay!  Now we can attach the snowflakes and spray the plaque with a sealing spray.  Tie the clear string onto the snowflakes, making sure to tie the knots securely.  Grab your sparkly plaque and high-gloss spray and some spare newspaper, and head outside on a clear, cool day with low humidity.  Be sure to read the application instructions on your spray can and follow the instructions CLOSELY.  If you don't have proper ventilation when using the spray, the fumes and odor will build up very quickly.  Spray everything with the clear coating until you get the finish you want, and allow this to dry for about 24 hours.  Using the spray is an optional step, really; I sprayed mine with a coating of acrylic in the hopes that it would prevent the glitter from flaking off of the letters when I pack the plaque away with the other decorations.  Constant handling would cause it to wear off over time, so I wanted to protect it.  It's entirely up to you, though.

Well, now your done.  Stand back and admire your sparkly new wall art.  I hope you have as much fun as I did making this!  I plan on making another next week to go with my fall decor, and I'll post pictures of that too.  It'll look a little different, but the process will be the same.  SPARKLY!!!!!

Snow Day!

Photo from the All Things Digital Website

Hello from snowy, slippery Ohio!  I had a snow day today thanks to the storm that has debilitated a large chunk of the country right now.  I guess the groundhog is predicting an early spring this year...we'll see.  I have to say, I don't trust anything a groundhog says.  You know how they are.

Because I was home today, I took the opportunity to do housework and baking.  I tried a new recipe for dinner rolls which can be found on the Recipes page under "Top Notch Dinner Rolls".  I found this recipe on The Amish Cook website.  This is a good and informative website about Amish life and culture, and frequently features pictures and recipes of Amish life, as well as the "Amish Cook" weekly column written by an Old-Order Amish woman named Lovina Eicher and read in many newspapers across the country.  This is her editor's website. Okay, now that you have all of the background, I have to say these rolls were very good!  I am posting the full recipe, and it makes around 30 decent-sized rolls.  I would recommend halfing it if you are a small family like us.  I'm going to try and freeze the rolls, and I will comment on the recipe about whether this ends up being a good idea or bad one.  This is a great bread recipe, and I think it would make two good-sized bread loaves if you want to try that.  We are having meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, and the rolls, and for dessert I whipped up a chocolate pudding pie in a graham cracker crust.  I enjoy being home to make a hearty meal for a cold, snowy day!  I hope everyone has weathered (haha, pun intended) the storm well, and that everyone stays warm and safe for the rest of the winter, no matter how long it may last!

The weather has been rough this winter.  I really think that this winter has been the worst in quite a while...cold, snowy, gray and dreary for the majority up to this point.  So it warms me to think of how much God loves His children, and remembering that always gives me hope of what is to come!  Think of these verses: "He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he."--Deut. 32:4; "Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you."--Psalm 9:10; "Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies."--Psalm 36:5.  Praise God for His unconditional love always!

Where Did January Go?

Valentine's Day
Wow, I can't believe that Monday is the last day of January already.  Where did the month go?  It seems as though I blinked and now we're approaching the new month.  I remember my dad saying that as you get older, the years go by much faster.  At this rate, by this time next year I'll be close to 60 years old!  (I'm nowhere near that right now :) ).

Oh well.  I know I've been busy, but I guess it's nothing to write home about.  I'm looking forward to Valentine's Day.  Last year, I surprised my husband with decorations, a gift, and a huge home-cooked meal served on our good china.  I even made pink, heart-shaped Rice Krispie treats, which looked great but were hard as a rock (I don't know what happened!).  It was really fun, and I was able to do it because 1) the holiday fell on a weekend day, and 2) I wasn't working, so I had plenty of time to plan and prepare.  I don't see this year being nearly so extravagant, unfortunately.  It was fun, though, and he liked it and was very surprised.  This year, I'm not sure what to do yet, but I ordered this t-shirt online (which hubby knows about) and I plan to wear it on said holiday.  I'm sure I'll come up with something!

Okay, Time For Spring
I'm very much looking forward to spring now.  It seems like every other day it's snowing!  Be careful what you wish for, I guess.  I still like snow, and I think that it's beautiful outside, but this year seems overly snowy and harsh.  More than once I've had to take the truck to work while hubby takes the car, because I have to drive through the country to get to work, and drifting snow is a common problem on the highways out there.  There is a pretty significant snowstorm forecasted to his us around mid-week here too, and possibly bring us over a foot of new snow!  If it happens as they are forecasting, it will be a slow drive to work, if I make it at all.  Is it wrong that I wish we could retire young, travel around and enjoy life, instead of the daily grind of the rat race?  I would like to be on some private island out in the Caribbean right now...I've never been there, but I'm sure it's nice this time of year.

I Need To Vent

I was listening to the radio one morning last week as I got ready for the day, as I always do.  I usually listen to the local conservative talk station here, and one of the topics this morning was a show on MTV that, while not a reality show, portrays teens that do nothing but have sex and do drugs.  Apparently, many conservative/family organizations have rallied and managed to get the paid advertisers to pull their support from this show.  I say good for them!  I am absolutely appalled at the television shows and movies that exist anymore.  I can't say that television and movies were pristine when I was young, and I admit that I watched shows that I was too young to understand.  I greatly expanded my vocabulary through the television shows and movies I was allowed to watch, including "Cheers", "The Golden Girls", "Back to the Future", and so on, and I tried to impress my parents a few times by repeating four-letter words that I heard on said shows but knew not the meanings.  While shocked that I would pick up the language, they also found it funny.  Oh well.  I probably sound like a prudish old woman, but when I watch old movies on TCM or AMC and compare them to the movies of today, I am terribly discouraged.  Even the Disney Channel is no longer a safe alternative, especially after ABC took over several years ago.  Not a single show on there is actually family-friendly!  No teen has any respect for their parents and they treat their peers with utter hatred.  Most shows on any given network has strong, independent female leads and sad, emasculated male leads.  (There is a book out right now titled "In Fifty Years We'll All Be Chicks...", and while I haven't and won't ever read it, I believe it's true).  One show out there is all about the supposed life of the average American teenager, and apparently all that American teenagers do anymore is sleep around and get pregnant in high school.  While I know that this is a serious problem among teens, I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would make a television series about teen pregnancy that makes it look like a good predicament to be in!  It's unbelievable that in our society, these things are not only accepted, but are accepted as the norm today.  Anyone who disagrees with it is considered intolerant and are ridiculed and mocked  for seeing these themes as wrong.  Where have the morals gone in our society??  What are we teaching children?  Wow.  Sadly, it will only ever get worse, and for that reason, I have to say that I would have no problem at all with completely getting rid of cable and only seeing very few movies.  Hollywood is the worst influence of all on our families and children, and yet we happily allow them to entertain us for hours each day, every day of the week.  I can't help but believe that our ancestors would be very disappointed in us and what we have allowed our lives and families to become.  If you have children in this day and age, you have a very difficult job of raising them.  Most of you already know this.  It will be an uphill fight all the way to make sure that they know and understand the morals and standards to which you, as Christians, must hold them.  I do not envy you, but I do pray for you.

Well there.  That concludes this week's episode of "My Soapbox".  Thank you.

At the church we attend, we have just finished a three-part sermon on the sanctity of marriage, based on the teachings in Matthew 7:24-27.  I won't go into specifics here, but basically this passage says that marriage should be built on faith in Christ (the rock) instead of the standards of the world (sand).  (These are great sermons available online, and if you want to hear them, send me a message and I'll send you the link.) This is just as applicable to children, and what they are learning from the world today.  We, as adults, are responsible for everything that we teach them, whether we have children or not.  They learn from what they see and hear.  Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, even he is old, he will not depart from it".  Build your marriage on the Rock of Salvation, not the sand of the world, and your children will learn this as correct.  Teach them to respect and listen to you, because God commands it (Eph. 6:1-3).  It is important because with this knowledge, they will hopefully be able to face a destructive world of sin armed with the power of God's Holy Word, and withstand the temptations to follow the easy, but deadly, paths that will certainly and inevitably be set before them by the enemy.

Snow days!

Hello!

Been a while again since I've been on here.  I can't believe that January is half-over already!  I always thought that January was the slowest month of the year, but it's moving fast.  Before I know it, the Superbowl will be upon us, and I will be enjoying the antics of the Puppy Bowl :).  I can't help it; I enjoy watching the Superbowl for the commercials, as my husband will attest, but I get bored with the game.  Not to mention that the half-time shows have been incredibly bad ever since the Janet Jackson incident, what has it been now, seven or eight years ago?  Seems like they only want bands who have had recent hip-replacement surgeries that will ensure no "wardrobe malfunctions".  But, it is still fun to "watch" with hubby and we usually have some fun foods to go along with the game.  Too bad the Colts won't be playing this year!

Christmas Is Officially Over

Well, we finally went to see my in-laws for Christmas.  We were also there to help my husband's brother move into his new house, and we got to spend time with all of the nieces and nephews.  We had a good time, but unfortunately, it led to me catching the stomach flu bug from them, and I spent the first half of this past week in the bathroom.  Thankfully, though, my husband hasn't caught it, and his parents and brother and sister never caught it, which makes me think that they had it sometime in the past and don't have to worry about catching it again.  Nevertheless, I've been sanitizing everything I can think of in my house, just in case I'm wrong.  Seems like everyone I know has either had it or knows someone (besides me) who has this year, so it must be very contagious.  Just a warning: wash your hands and use lots of hand sanitizer!!

Some Sad News

I have some sad news to share: my sister informed me last weekend that her dog has lung cancer.  She had it before they adopted her.  She loves her dog, and I have had a photo or two and mention of Ninja the dog on here back when my sister and brother-in-law first adopted her (see November 1).  I would like to ask that you might keep them in your prayers, because this will be hard for them.  They can't afford to, nor do they think it would be right, to pump the dog full of medicines to prolong her life, so they will eventually need to put her to sleep.  It's too bad, because she is the sweetest dog I've met in a long time.  They don't know how long they will have, so just keep them in your prayers occasionally.  I would be grateful.

Serious Case of the Winter Blahs

I think it's true.  I have the mid-winter blahs now.  I'm itching to go on vacation somewhere, but it's not an option!  I usually start to get cabin fever about this time of year, since there is not really anything to look forward to for the rest of the season.  We seem to be getting a lot of snow right now, and the temps are forecasted to be bitter cold by the end of next week, which makes me want to stay home and sleep all day.  Don't get me wrong--I like winter.  But I think that I would be fine with snow in December and January, and then it can be spring from February through June :).  It's really almost time to start thinking ahead to my garden for this summer.  I need to figure out what I'll grow this year, at least...probably more green beans, onions, tomatoes, my row of asparagus, and lettuce.  It's so great to have fresh produce right in your back yard!  Perhaps in another year we can think about adding more garden beds. 

Prayer is an important part of any Christian life.  Without it, we are not doing much in the way of communicating with God, nor are we helping our relationship with Him grow!  He wants us to talk to Him, even though He already knows what we want, need, think, say, etc.  Luke 18:1-10 is the parable of prayer: "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care what people think, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually come and attack me!' " And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"  Pray without ceasing, because God hears His children, and He loves us in the way only a parent can love a child.  He will always be there for us!